Form for examining and finishing stockings



July 17, 1951 M. koHLsubm: 2,

FORM EXAMINING AND FINISHING STOCKINGS I fl-IQd-NoV-z 2 9 INVENTOR MAX \LOHLSDORF ATTORNEY will;

Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FORM FOR .EXAMINING AND FINISHING STOCKINGS '2 Claims. v1

This invention relates to stocking leg forms for examining and finishing stockings, or the .like.

In the manufacture of stockings, many steps are commonly employed in turning out the average full-fashionedstockingincluding the inspection of the stocking for damage. 'They are:

. Knitting.

. Looping to close the .open toe.

Seaming Preboard-ing.

. Dyeing.

. Post boarding for drying and heating to iron. Pairing according to length.

Transfer application of brand or gauge identification to the welt.

9. Packaging.

10. Inspection. Thisstepin conventional practice may take .place "between any two of steps 3 to '9 inclusive or all of them and requires mounting of the seamed stockings upon .a separate leg 20 form. This conventional practice requires the use of at least three leg forms, one for .prboarding, one forpostboarding and a third specialform for inspection. Besides the cost of the additional inspection leg form, the time involved in transferring the stocking to the third 'leg form for'inspection and its removal therefrom adds to the manufacturing costs. Also, likelihood of damage is increased by the use of the additional form with resultant waste.

A principal object and feature of this invention are to provide a novel leg form usefulin the manufacture of stockings for both inspection and finishing which will eliminate the necessity for the special inspection leg form of conventional practice and which will serve both asan'inspection form and ,post boarding or finishing 'form, and, also, eliminate the described additional expense of time involved in conventional practice.

A further object and feature of the invention are to provide a novel stocking leg form that is simple in construction, is capable of mass production, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, whichhas a minimum of working parts, with which damage to stockingsis unlikely and whereby waste is greatly reduced over that common in conventional practice.

Other objects and .novel features will'become apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a device embodying the invention and illustrative :of its operation;

Fig. 2 isa-plan view of the deviceeof 'Fig. 1 with one face removed and illustrating one operative positionof working parts thereof Fig. 3 is a similar .plan view illustrating .asecond working position of the'sam'e parts;

Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section taken along .line l-4 of Fig. 2 and Viewed in the direction .of'the arrows; and

Fig. 5 .is .a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken alongline 5-5 of Fig. 2 and also viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the leg form of this invention comprises a side plate Ill having asubstantially leg-shaped .profile in plan view .providedalong a frontsideedge with a laterally extending flange 1 I serving as a spacer, which, however, may be replaced by any equivalent spacing mechanism or means. A second side plate i 2 also having a substantially leg-shaped profile in plan is positioned in parallelism with the first side plate Ill with its inner face along its front edge abutting the flange -I I.

A slide plate i3 also having a substantially legshaped profile in ,plan is sandwiched between the two plates l8 and i2 :and movable laterally outwardly from a concealed position, wherein its peripheral edges lie alined with corresponding peripheral edges of the side plates l0 and J2 and concealed thereby as seen in Fig. 3, to :an exposed or stretching position as seen inF'ig. 2, wherein its curved peripheral rear-edges lie misalined with and-outwardly of the corresponding rear edges :of the side plates ill and L2. This slide plate 13 has .a substantially rectangular longitudinal recess M in one surface adefining a longitudinally extending shoulder 15 for purposes to be presently described. Transversely extending guide slots 16 are provided in the-slide plate substantially rectangular operating plate I1 is slidably borne in the recess M of slide plate I3. Longitudinally extendingiguide slots l8corresponding in number to the transverse guideslots i5 and. crossing the latter are provided in the operating plate ll. Diagonally extending cam slots or surfaces i9 arealso provided in the op- -erating;-platefl. Cam follower members or :pins '23 fixed to the slide .plate 13 and upstanding -from the surface of recess it extend into the cam slots 1 9.

Securing memberaeach in the form of a bolt having a countersunk head 24 and a threaded nut with countersunk head 22, extend through the side'plate's it and 112, each passing through a'transverse slot 15 and a longitudinal slot 18 and-each provided with a guidemember or sleeve 23. zlying in the respective transverse and longitudinalrslots l5 and i8, and the securing bolts with countersunk heads 2 1 and threaded nuts 25 extending through holes in the flange ll of side plate ill and the side plate .82 actto .secure the two side plates All and i2 and internally located slide plate i3 and operating plate .5! in assembled relationship. The countersunk heads of the securing bolts and nuts lie 'flush with the outer faces of side-plate is and 1?. to prevent snagging of the stocking PS which, as will be described, is -mounted on the assembly o-r-leg form.

tion shown in Fig. 3.

A guide member 21 having a longitudinal recess 28 whose width is substantially that of the operating plate I1 is positioned between the two side plates Ill and I2 adjacent one end of the slide plate l3. This member 2'! is secured in place by the pivot bolt 29 which extends through holes in the plate and member 21 and is threaded into an appropriate threaded opening in plate [2. This guide member 2'! supplements the action of transverse slots [6 in preventing longitudinal displacement of slide plate l3 and, also, supplements the action of longitudinal slots H3 in preventing lateral displacement of operating plate l1.

A'pin 33 extends outwardly of the operating plate I! through a longitudinally extending slot 3| in side plate 'lfi. This pin 36 also extends through a slot 32 in a manipulating lever 33 which is pivotally supported on the pivot bolt 29. Rotation of the manipulating lever 33 from the full-line position of Fig. 1 to its dot-dash position therein causes longitudinal displacement of the operating plate ll, from its posi- Fig. 2. Since the operating plate ii is prevented 'by sleeves 23 in longitudinal slots I? from movposition of Fig. 1 causes oppositely directed or retractive movement of the slide plate 23 from its position shown'in Fig. 2 to its initial posi- All peripheral edges of the assembled device or composite leg form are rounded to prevent damage to stockings to be mounted thereon.

In utilizing the device for its intended purposes, it is mounted in appropriate manner to a table or bench in substantially vertical position with its toe end up. A plurality of these 1 forms may be so mounted. A stocking after dyeing is post-boarded on each of the leg form devices of this invention, each while its lever tion shown in Fig. 3 to its position shown in ment of manipulating lever 33 to the full-line 33 is in the full-line position of Fig. 1 at which time the stretcher or slide plate l3 has its retracted position. Lever 33 is then rotated to its dot-dash position shown in Fig. 1 causing an outward lateral movement of slide plate l3 to its stretching position shown in Fig. 2 and in dot-dash outline in Fig. 1. This stretches the entire stocking throughout its length and facilitates its inspecting for damage or defects.

Preferably the outer surfaces of the device are U of light color so that any stocking defects will be readily visible. Upon completion of the inspection, the lever 33 is returned to its initial position of Fig. l, retracting the stretcher slide plate 13 to its initial position. The stocking, if found free of damage defects, is then left on the device and finished by heating on the same form. This heating irons the stocking. It then can be paired with other finished stockings on identical forms, for size, have a trans fer (brand or gauge identification) put on the stocking welt W and thereafter be removed from the leg form of the invention and packaged.

The use of the leg form device of this invention eliminates the necessit for the use of the third or additional leg form for inspection purposes and, also, saves time by eliminating the side plates, a stretcher slide plate also having substantially leg-shaped profile positioned between the two side plates and slidable outwardly from between the two side plates, said stretcher plate having a recessed portion and transverse slots in said portion, an operating member received in said recessed portion and slidable longitudinally relative to said stretcher slide plate, said operating member having longitudinal slots and diagonally extending cam surfaces, cam follower members extending from said stretcher plate into engagement with said cam surfaces, collar carrying bolts extending through the transverse and longitudinal slots,. a pivotally supported manipulating lever and pin and slot engagement means between said lever and said operating member for sliding said operating member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of side plates having substantially legshaped profile, one of said plates having a lateral spacing flange along one peripheral edge for spacing the two plates, a stretcher slide plate also having substantially leg-shaped profile positioned between the two side plates and slidable outwardly from between the two side plates, said stretcher slide plate having a longitudinally recessed portion and transverse guide slots in said portion, a substantially rectangular operating member lying in said recessed portion and slidable longitudinally relative to said stretcher slide plate, said operating member having longitudinal guide slots .positioned to cross the transverse slots and also having diagonally extending cam slots, cam follower members extending from said stretcher slide plate into engagement with said cam slots, bolts extending through said transverse and 1ongitudinal guide slots, collars carried by said bolts and lying in said guide slots, a manipulating lever, a pivotal support for said lever secured to one of said side plates, and a pin extending from said operating member and engaged b said lever for sliding said operating member on rotation of said lever whereby rotation in opposite directions of said lever will alternately slide said stretcher slide plate transversely outwardly of said side plates and retract it into concealed position between said side plates.

MAX KOHLSDORF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 81,981 Chandler Sept. 8, 1868 474,954 Ericson May 1'7, 1892 1,828,345 Schremp Oct. 20, 1931 2,023,946 Ammon Dec. 10, 1935 2,525,111 Astphan Oct. 10, 1950 

